Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the legislation. Yesterday, less than a week before the hospitality sector was due to open, the Government announced that reopening indoor dining would be postponed for an unknown period and that it would let people know in the next couple of weeks when it will reopen.

Does the Minister realise that people's livelihoods are at stake, including those of families? I have spoken to people today whose mental, financial and emotional health are in ruins as a result of the Government's decision. We are 15 months into a pandemic. We knew we would be faced with variants and vaccine delays. The Government should have had a plan B and a plan C but it did not have one. We could see what was happening in England with the Delta variant. Why were contingency plans not put in place? Why was more not done to prepare for this?

The hospitality sector does not want to hear about hypothetical Covid-19 passes. It does not want more flawed ideas. This Government should be ashamed of the way it has treated the sector and is treating the families and individuals involved. They deserve to be treated with respect and fairness. The lives of many of them lie in ruins today.

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